The Benefits of Integrating HIV and Family Planning Programs

July 19, 2012

The Benefits of Integrating HIV and Family Planning Programs

Integration is joining together family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) and HIV/AIDS services or programs to improve health outcomes. To be effective in improving health outcomes, integration should occur at the policy, operational and service delivery levels.

THE BENEFITS OF INTEGRATING HIV AND FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMS

Offering FP/RH and HIV/AIDS services together is central to ensuring universal access to reproductive health care and HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Failure to integrate these services is a missed opportunity that may undermine the effectiveness of these programs.

An estimated 2.6 million people become infected with HIV annually. Women are particularly affected, making up 60 percent of people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa also has high maternal mortality rates, and 53 million women in
this region want to prevent pregnancy, but lack contraception. To curb HIV prevalence rates and address the demand for family planning across the globe, there is an overwhelming need to increase access to FP/RH and HIV/AIDS information and services
through integration.